Your First Visit
What to Expect
1. ASSESS YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
We will take the first meeting to assess your current circumstances. While my areas of practice may be consistent with your reasons for coming to therapy, we will need to address specific areas that are unique to you, and your current circumstances. We will develop a treatment plan, which can be likened to a roadmap, which identifies your goals and how to navigate them using certain techniques specific to your needs. I may provide you with series of actions to do outside of our therapy sessions, such as practice a certain technique, or read a specific book, as it is important you take on an active role in your healing.
2. BUILD A RELATIONSHIP
Our first session will be more like a two way interview. I will ask you questions to help me better understand your primary issues and concerns, as well as your history in terms of other events in your life, family, childhood, and career. In order for therapy to be successful, it is imperative we establish a client/therapist relationship that is supportive and honest. The therapeutic relationship is the most accurate predictor of a positive, healthy outcome in therapy.
3. CONFIDENTIALITY
As a general rule, all therapy sessions are confidential and anything you discuss with your therapist will remain between the two of you, unless you request otherwise. This is as per protection rules by law, which all therapists legally need to follow, and no information from the session can be disclosed without prior written consent from the client.
There are exceptions to this law however, and the therapist can disclose information from the session to legal authorities or appointed persons if any of the following are true:
-The therapist suspects abuse to a child, dependent adult, or an elder, or are made aware of domestic abuse. These situations all require the therapist to notify law authorities immediately.
-If the therapist suspects an individual has caused, or is threatening to cause severe bodily harm to another person, therapists are required to report it to the police.
-If an individual intends to harm himself or herself, expressing to the therapist for example, plans for suicide. While the therapist will attempt to work through this in the therapy session, if it appears to be unresolved or the client does not cooperate, additional action may need to be taken to ensure the safety of the client.
4. COMPLETE FORMS PRIOR TO FIRST SESSION
Completing the intake forms will aid your therapist in being as prepared as possible for your fiirst session. This will save time during your first session. Informed consent, pricing, and other policies and procedures contained in the intake forms are a necessary part of the therapy process. It is here where boundaries are set and a clear understanding of expectations are discussed.
5. LOGISTICS
You will receive a link to your online therapy (Telehealth/remote) session prior to session start time. Currently, Whole Integration Therapy is offering online (Telehealth/remote) only. If interested in in-person therapy, this can be discussed for future options dependent on volume of requests/interest.
Once a client has establised services with Whole Integration Therapy, the majority of communication, scheduling, billing, etc. will be done using the client's portal access. Here the client will be able to sign important forms, schedule sessions, communicate with your therapist, and more.
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